Quotes:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” —Proverbs 29:18
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” —Warren Bennis
“A leader is a dealer in hope.” —Napoleon Bonaparte
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” —John Maxwell
“To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less.” —Andre Malraux
“He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” —Aristotle
“A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.”—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
“Leadership is influence.” —John C. Maxwell
“Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths.” —John Zenger
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” —John Quincy Adams
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus exemplifies leadership for us. He is a perfect example for us to follow and pattern after.
He came to seek and save the lost and so should we.
But this begs the question? How effective are we at winning the lost?
The answer to this may directly be related to this sermons title:
It’s Not What You Know, It’s How You See It.
Leadership is less about what you know and more about how you see it.
Let me explain.
In every situation in life there are “facts” of that situation.
And at the same time there are the “facts” as we see them.
Let me give you a real-world example from when I was a Crew Chief in Desert Storm.
On 1 February 1991 major elements of the 97th deployed to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, forming the 806th Bombardment Wing (Provisional). At Fairford, the Wing participated as part of the expeditionary unit during Operation Desert Storm, executing multiple B-52 strike missions over Iraq and Kuwait. The wing conducted over 60 conventional bombing sorties. Tragically, the only B-52 lost during the Gulf War was from Eaker AFB. It was not shot down but went down in the Indian Ocean due to a mechanical failure. Aircraft and personnel returned to Eaker AFB by mid-1991.
We had 9 B52G Bombers that were not from Eaker AF Base, Blytheville Ar. We had flown up to KI Sawyer in the UP to get them as ours were not equipped with the latest Strat-Radar mods. Once was a Can-Bird (to cannibalize parts from) to keep the other 8 operational. We flew 4 bombing missions a day (9 hours to target & 9 back for a gurgling 18 hours). We also had to have to taxi spares in case any of the primary 4 failed to make their mission. We also had to have one engine running in the chocks to back up the 2 taxi spares. We dropped 51 750 pounders and cluster bombs. Our targets were power plants, fuel depots, etc. and largely Red Guard units in the field. All of the crew’s mission success rates were not the same. Some had very poor rates and mine was one of the ones that were in the 90 percentile.
Why?
The “facts” were the same for each of the crews and they were:
We opened a base that had been closed for 20 some years.
Bombers that were 30 plus years old.
Dirty and not well maintained.
The ramp was small, aged and in less than ideal condition.
We did not have all the tools at our disposal we normally had access to.
Working out abandoned buildings.
Sleeping in a gym cot to cot as many as could be fitted. Your cot was your personal space.
We had 9 crews (1 for each bomber); since all the “Facts” were the same, why were some crews mission success rate so much lower than others?
Because it’s Not What You Know, It’s How You See it.
The “facts” were the same; we all had the same training, knowledge, and hours upon hours of study; however, how each crew saw the “facts” were different.
I knew that if my Bomber didn’t make its mission, then Americans and our Allies would literally die. Therefore, I pushed and lead my crew to do what had to be done to make ever mission possible; mainly by helping them to understand that if we didn’t fly folks on our side would die.
Context made the difference. It wasn’t the training that made me a successful leader during Desert Storm as it was the Context.
The Context was: knowing, if we didn’t fly then folks on our side would die.
Read the hand-out:
“A newspaper is better than a magazine. A seashore is a better place than a street. At first it is better to run than to walk. You may have to try several times. It takes some skill, but it is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Once successful, complications are minimal. Birds seldom get too close; Rain however, soaks in very fast. Too many people doing the same thing can also cause problems. One needs lots of room, if there are no complications it can be very peaceful. A rock will serve as an anchor. If things break loose from it, however, you will not get a second change.”
Now add the word “KITE” to the top and read it again.
Example from “On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You are Not” by Robert A. Burton.
The context is decisive. - Context highlights some things; dims some things; blanks out some things.
Teaching and learning leadership principles is like being in the stands (3rd person). = Knowledge.
Leadership in practice is like being on the court.
(1st person). = Context.
1st person is in the moment.
This is where the “knowledge” comes into it. Think of it like this:
Knowledge is like a lite behind you shining on what you are doing; as opposed to knowledge being between you and what you are doing.
Understanding this is not only like getting the keys to the car, but also realizing that you are in the driver’s seat.
Now let’s bring this down to where-the-rubber-meets-the-road.
Christians are supposed to bear fruit - John 15:16
The scripture says that “he that winneth souls is wise".
It is important because of the peril of lost souls:
John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
To the unbeliever, the only thing between him and hell is a beating heart!
Luke 16:22-28 “22- And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23- And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24- And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25- But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26- And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27- Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28- For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”
It is important because of the value of souls:
Mark 8:36-37 “36- For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37- Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
It is important because of the price that Jesus paid for the soul:
I Peter 1:18-19 “18- Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19- But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
And lastly Luke 15:4-7 sums it up nicely: “4- What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5- And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6- And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7- I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Context:People will die and be lost for eternity if you and I don’t reach..
(Some leadership concepts gathered from a lecture by Kari L. Granger (Sunergos LLc, US Air Force Academy.)
